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Introduction

HMRC taskforces are an initiative aimed at tackling deliberate tax evasion and were first introduced in May 2011.

Taskforces focus on geographically specific business sectors where HMRC suspects high-risk tax evasion is taking place.

Multi-disciplined teams, comprised of direct tax and VAT staff, are often supplemented by Benefits Agency staff looking for benefit fraudsters and, occasionally, police officers and UK Border Agency enforcement officers too. The teams descend on the targeted business sector and ask to see business records and interview staff.

When the initiative was announced, Mike Eland, HMRC’s Director General Enforcement and Compliance, said:

‘These taskforces are a new approach which uses HMRC’s resources to identify rule-breakers and evaders swiftly and effectively. Only those who choose to break the rules, or deliberately evade the tax they should be paying, will be targeted.’

In the years since 2011, HMRC has learned from the early taskforce activity, and the way in which taskforces are launched has changed. Whilst the taskforces have always been intelligence-led, HMRC is now operating a ‘test and learn’